The Yellow Book: An Illustrated Quarterly

London: Elkin Mathews & John Lane; John Lane The Bodley Head; The Bodley Head, 1894-1949. Cloth. Very Good Indeed/Very Good. 8" by 6.5". Various. A lovely set of all thirteen volumes of 'The Yellow Book' literary quarterly, published at the end of the nineteenth century, with numerous plates throughout each volume. Complete and highly sought after first edition thirteen volume set, containing second impressions without the adverts to the rear of text. This collection also includes one additional volume from 1949, containing selections from the 1894-97 volumes with the very rare dust wrapper for this.Illustrations include title-page engravings and numerous illustrated plates to each volume, illustrated by a range of artists.This is a lovely collection containing the entirety of 'The Yellow Book', the literary periodical that was published from 1895 to 1897. These issues contained a range of literary and artistic poetry, short, stories, and essays from very important writers of the day. These quarterlies were edited by Henry Harland, with the art edited by Aubrey Beardsley, who came up with the idea of the periodical's signature yellow cover. Volume I (April 1894) contains fifteen illustrated plates, with essays such as 'The Death of the Lion' by Henry James, 'A Defence of Cosmetics' by Max Beer Bohm, and 'Irremediable' by Alla D'Arcy. Volume II (July 1894) contains twenty-three illustrated plates, with essays such as 'Thy Heart's Desire' by Netta Syrett', 'Reticence in Literature' by Hubert Crackanthorpe', and 'An Epigram', by William Watson. Volume III (October 1894) contains fifteen illustrated plates, with essays such as 'The Headswoman' by Kenneth Grahame, 'Second Thoughts' by Arthur Moore, and 'The Ballad of a Nun' by John Davidson. Volume IV (January 1895) contains seventeen illustrated plates, with essays such as 'Theodora, a Fragment' by Victoria ross, 'Day and Night by E. Nesbit, and 'The End of an Episode' by Evelyn Sharp. Volume V (April 1895) contains fourteen illustrated plates, with essays such as 'The Ring of Life' by Edmund Gosse, 'Shepherds' Song' by Nora Hopper, and 'L'Eveche de Tourcoing' by Anatole France. Volume VI (July 1895) contains sixteen illustrated plates, with essays such as 'The Digger' by Edgar Prestage and 'Consolation' by J. A. Blaikie. Volume VII (October 1895) contains twenty illustrated plates, with essays such as 'A Sonnet' by A. C. Benson and 'Under Grey Skies' by S. Cornish Watkins. Volume VIII (January 1896) contains twenty-six illustrated plates, with essays such as 'A Slip under the Microscope' by H. G. Wells and 'Aubade' by Rosamund Marriott Watson. Volume IX (April 1896) contains seventeen illustrated plates, with essays such as 'A Ballad of Victory' by Dollie Radford and 'Hand and Heart' by Francis Prevost.Volume X (July 1896) contains thirteen illustrated plates, with essays such as 'Dogs, Cats, Books and the Average Man', by 'The Yellow Dwarf', and 'Kathy ' by Oswald Sickert. Volume XI (October 1896) contains twelve illustrated plates, with essays such as 'The Elsingfords' by Robert Shews and 'A Chef-d'oeuvre' by Reginald Turner. Volume XII (January 1897) contains fourteen illustrated plates, with essays such as 'The Lost Eden' by William Watson and 'St. Joseph and Mary' by Marie Clothilde Balfour.Volume XIII (April 1897) contains eighteen illustrated plates, with works such as 'The Blessed' by W. B. Yeats and 'On the Toss of a Penny' by Cecil de Thierry. 1949 volume contains a frontispiece and thirty-six plates, with works like 'The Butterflies by D. Y. Cameron and 'Study of Durham' by F. G. Cotman.Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898) was an English illustrator and leading figure in the aesthetic movement alongside Oscar Wilde, who was also linked to 'The Yellow Book'. Henry Harland (1861-1905) was an American novelist and editor, whose works include 'The Cardinal's Snuff-Box', 'My Friend Prospero', and 'Grandison Mather'.Collated, complete. In the publisher's original cloth binding, with the 1949 volume in the original unclipped dust wrapper. Externally, very smart. Minimal edge wear to extremities, with just a bit of discolouration particularly to the spine of volumes. A few marks and fading to boards, particularly to Vol VII, X, and XIII. Offsetting to endpapers, with light spots to the endpaper of Vol XI. Dust wrapper is generally smart, with edge wear and chipping particularly to the bottom of spine region, and age-toning to reverse of wraps. Light spots to the reverse of wraps and to the fly leaves. Internally, firmly bound. Binding is loosening towards middle of Vol VII. Pages are bright and clean throughout, with light age-toning to pages and the odd spot throughout text. A bit more spotting to Vol V. Some pages are unopened to volumes, such as Vol V, VIII. Plates are very bright and clean, and are protected by tissue guards. Very Good Indeed